Monthly Archives: September 2016

I believe it’s important to give my students as much freedom to create as possible. Of course they have project outlines, and requirements, but as far as the conceptual imagery they choose to include in their artwork? It’s all them

Currently in my high school class we are working with colored pencil technique, along with some other elements and principles of design. Most of my students have been in art for 1-3 years with me, so we spend less time on the basics of the elements and principles, and more time on developing their techniques and personal style.

The project read: :Choose a representational ‘object’ and using your vocabulary as a guide, you will create emphasis on this object. Make sure you have a balanced composition. Include both types of implied line. Color this in using the colored pencil techniques demonstrated in class.

Most of the students have chosen to draw people, or fictional creatures. I love how every
student has a distinct style, and personal point of view. I can tell that the students I have had for multiple years have grown tremendously, and that my new students are not only talented, but are excited to learn.

We will end this project after having worked on it for about a month. I like to give my students plenty of time to work, but I have a hard deadline for them as well. I can’t wait to see their final works!

Pictured to the left is a student I’ve had since he was in and 8th grade! I can’t believe it’s been three years since we’ve been together. Every single day all of my students astound me with their talent and willingness to continue to grow. Somedays it’s a little more difficult than others, but overall they are great.

Many of my students use their phones to reference pictures online to help them with proportions and shading. I’ve been encouraging them to use pictures they’ve taken as
well, and I’m happy as a teacher that we have access to at least this type of
technology. It was a little bit of a fight, initially, to let the students use their phones in class, but in the
end their ability to use every resource available to them was deemed most important. I do have to continue to keep an eye on my snap-chatters, but after all these years I trust them to use their time wisely, and give me their very best.